During emergencies and severe weather, expect to experience difficulty making calls as there is frequently congestion and delays due to heavy usage.

It is important for consumers to keep in mind that during an emergency, many more people try to use their cell phones at the same time when compared to normal calling activity.

When more people try to call at the same time, the increased calling volume may create network congestion. Network congestion can cause “fast busy” signals from wireless phones during times of heavy wireless phone usage, such as during an emergency.

Customers may even receive a message that says, “Your call cannot be completed at this time.”

There are some simple steps that wireless users can take to minimise the effects of network overload and congestion during emergency situations:

Try short/text messaging service. It will help free up more “space” for the voice traffic in the network and put you in contact with your loved ones faster (from cell phone to cell phone).

Also, if you have a wireless data device such as a Blackberry, you can use its messaging capabilities to communicate.

Use a landline phone if one is available. In many instances, landline service may still be available in your area. If it is, use it instead of your wireless phone to help prevent network overload.

Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum; limit your calls to the most important ones. Chances are that if there is severe weather, many people will be attempting to place wireless calls to loved ones, friends and business associates.

If the landline phones are not working, this probability increases.

Wait 10 seconds before re-dialling a call. On many handsets, to re-dial a number, you simply push “send” after you’ve ended a call to redial the previous number.

Before a storm hits, remember to programme in all of your emergency contact numbers. For example, programme 911, the police department, fire station and hospital contact numbers as well as your family members into your cell phone so you don’t have to think about it during the emergency.